Which 1923 Newbery Medal winner stars Doctor Dolittle?

The Voyages of Doctor Dolittle was the 1923 Newbery Medal winner featuring Hugh Lofting’s animal-speaking physician.

Published in 1922, it is the second book in the Doctor Dolittle series, following The Story of Doctor Dolittle. The narrator, Tommy Stubbins, joins the doctor on an expansive adventure involving injured animals, distant islands, missing explorers, and a remarkable return voyage in the shell of the Great Glass Sea Snail.

The book is substantially longer and more ambitious than its predecessor, with six parts and illustrations by Lofting himself. Its 1923 medal designation follows the Newbery’s convention of identifying the award by the year it was presented, while the book appeared in 1922.

Readers often confuse the title with The Story of Doctor Dolittle, which introduces the character, or with later sequels such as Doctor Dolittle’s Post Office. The Newbery honored The Voyages, not the first book in the series.